1. Technical Field
The present invention is directed to data processing systems. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a method, apparatus, and computer program product for enhancing the error reporting that is done utilizing fault isolation registers (FIRS) after executing a diagnostic test.
2. Description of Related Art
Diagnostic testing is typically done in a data processing system during the Initial Program Load (IPL) stage. Typically, diagnostic tests are executed utilizing the main memory store as well as the various caches. In addition, diagnostic tests may also be performed on individual integrated circuits and/or functional units included in the integrated circuits in the data processing system.
Fault Isolation Registers (FIRs) are included in the system and are designed to indicate the results of particular diagnostic tests. Each FIR includes multiple bits that are designed to indicate the various results of particular tests. When a particular test is designed, particular FIRs and particular bits in those FIRs are selected to indicate the results of the test. Thus, according to the design of the test and the design of the FIRS, a particular fault will be indicated utilizing a pre-specified one or more bits in one or more pre-specified FIRS.
After a diagnostic test is run, a routine that evaluates the results of the test can be run that will check the results reported by the bits within the FIRs that were pre-selected to report results from this test. One problem with the prior art approach is that there may be occasions when an unrelated FIR that had not been pre-selected to report a fault in response to a particular diagnostic test is affected by the execution of the particular test. These unrelated FIRs are not related to the particular diagnostic test. These unrelated FIRs were not preselected to report the results of this test. The routine that evaluates the results of this particular test will not check this unrelated FIR because this unrelated FIR is not designed and pre-selected to report faults for this test. Thus, the potential to diagnose and correct this fault may be lost.
Therefore, a need exists for a method, apparatus, and computer program product for enhancing the error reporting that is done utilizing fault isolation registers (FIRs) after executing a diagnostic test.